The primary aim of Rights of Woman, though it covers many subjects can be summzarized: "Contending for the rights of woman, my main argument is built on this simple principle, that if she be not prepared by education to become the companion of men, she will stop the progress of knowledge and virtue; for truth must be common to all, or it will be inefficacious with respect to its influence on general practice."
Wollstonecraft is speaking not only to Tallyrand and France in this work but most importantly to Britain: At the time of Wollstonecraft's publication, women in Britain were essentially the property of their fathers and then their husbands. Men were able to abuse their wives and daughters with no legal ramifications seeing as women had no political rights. All property was passed to the eldest son upon the death of the patriarch; this, in turn, made chastity of utmost importance as fathers wanted to be sure property was passing on to the rightful heir. Divorce was virtually unheard of and if a woman did run away from an abusive husband, she risked being confined in a mental institution and losing her children. (Wollstonecraft wrote an unpublished novel about these issues that was interrupted by her sudden death). Seemingly, a woman's only real accomplishment was marrying well and women were thus educated almost solely to prepare for the marriage market- learning how to cook, draw, sew and play music in order to become an attractive hostess. There were even several books were written teaching woman how to flirt in a coy manner and how to demonstrate piety and other virtues men would seek in a potential bride.
Wollstonecraft published her Vindication of the Rights of Women in 1792, after serving as a teacher in Newington Green and observing that the girls she was attempting to enlighten were already formed academically by a social environment that subordinated them to men. After the publication, she spent time in France observing the revolutionary fervor of the time, thus familiarizing herself with the new idea of inalienable rights that was taking hold at the time. In doing this, she continued to educate herself and grew stronger in her feminist convictions.
It is important to note how slowly Wollstonecraft's ideas took hold in Britain. A century after Wollstonecraft was born Charlotte Bronte published her classic work Jane Eyre under a male pseudonym. When Charlotte's identity was released it was highly controversial that a woman wrote such an unflattering depiction of male charecters. Wollstonecraft's true accomplishments should not be measured in immediate influence on society, but on her influence on future authors such as Mill and eventually the feminist movement.
To. M. Talleyrand-Périgord Late Bishop of Autun
Wollstonecraft begins her work by noting that she “pleads for her sex, not herself”(4) and that her words universally apply to the whole human race. She then provides an overview of her work for the bishop to read.
She claims that the French have more knowledge than the rest of the world owing to a greater degree of “social intercourse between the sexes”; however, they also are more prone to promiscuity and lust, while paying little attention to decency and modesty. But if they are to have true patriotism, they must work to instill modesty in their fellow male citizens so that they themselves respect modesty themselves. To render the human mind and body more perfect – must practice chastity so men could learn to respect women. She foresees the day when respect of women which would eventually become the only way to merit esteem.
Moreover, she asserts that truth should be known and spread to all, or it would be no good for society. Both men and women can reason, therefore, both men and women can come to know truth and thus develop (not simply blindly adopt) virtue. The more they learn, “the more they will be attached to their duty–comprehending it– for unless they comprehend it, unless their morals be fixed on the same immutable principle as those of man, no authority can make them discharge it in a virtuous manner” (5).
Wollstonecraft views the subjection of women as leading to a breakdown of natural roles in the home. Men see women as mere objects to amuse them when they are not busy “contemplating.” This attitude towards women does not foster respect for women and lead men to perceive no reason to be faithful. Women, lacking an understanding of morality, may rebel against their slave-like state and achieve justice by retaliating against their faithless husbands. However, allowing women to form and foment their own sense of morality would avoid this situation and stabilize the entire home.
She also seeks to refute the argument that women are kept subdued for their own well-being. She claims that the withholding of reason is an argument of tyrants.
Introduction
Women are seen as weak, wretched, and inferior. These ideas are propagated from the outset during childhood and the early stages of education. From this point on, female inferiority is assumed without question. Women themselves are sacrificed to beauty and denied an education. She writes: "This barren blooming I attribute especially to a false system of education, gathered from books written by men who have been more anxious to make of women alluring mistresses than rational wives." They aspire only to acquire love without a regard for their own abilities and virtues. No one can doubt men’s physical superiority in strength; however, physical strength is not related to natural pre-eminence. Both sexes possess the capacity to reason and know true virtue. And therefore, the ability to govern is not based on sex (as was the custom), but rather, the level at which the individual's reasoning has developed.
Characteristics are championed in women that glory their slavishness; men convince them with “soft phrases” which are in fact “almost always synonymous with epithets of weakness” (8). Women who do attempt to show masculine virtues (and thereby gain equality) are stigmatized against as masculine-women. Middle class women are the most to be pitied because they have nothing to do but amuse themselves.
She closes this section by affirming her dedication to “persuade by the force of arguments” instead of flowery language.
Chapter 2 The Prevailing Opinion of a Sexual Character
In Chapter 2, Wollostonecraft details the differences between men and women, as established by societal norms. Women's intellect is kept suppressed by denying them a proper education, which ultimately inhibits their ability to acquire virtue. Women are expected to remain calm, quiet, and soft-spoken. They must keep intact a sense of innocence, which to Wollstonecraft, should only be a characteristic of infants since it implies weakness. Nevertheless, women are expected to practice and demonstrate any personality traits that will lead them to attract a male sutor and become dependent on their husbands. "She was created to be the toy of man, his rattle, and it must jingle in his ears, whenever, dimsissing reason, he chooses to be amused" (2). In other words, women were created for men, as was expressed even in Biblical passages.
However, there exist a number of problems with the woman's status in society. By the fact that woman has also been given the divine gift of reason, she is kept unequal and insubordinate, and is denied an innate right that men are allowed to enjoy, even the least of men who choose not to. Secondly, the expectations of female character and personality will lead to problems in the future once she attains marital status. Upon marriage, a woman will see her life's goal as achieved. All that she has practiced for attracting male attention will no longer be needed. However, this way of life has been imposed on her since childhood, and so, she will not simply cast away this mentality. Instead, the wife will continue to behave in the same fashion, attracting other men, and violating the values of marriage.
A woman should seek to reform these societal norms, by striving to become an equal- a friend- of men, and not a dependent. Wollstonecraft states: "Do passive indolent women make the best wives? . . .If they are really capable of ating like rational creatures, let them not be treated like slaves; let them attain conscious dignity by feeling themselves only dependent on God" (2). A woman must therefore strive to receive the best education that she can, in order to strengthen and develop both her mind and body. And in time, she will become "more wise and virtuous" (2).
Summary of Unassigned Chapters
Chapter 1 The rights and duties of mankind considered
Man was given reason by God and the exercise of reason can lead us to knowledge and virtue. But as things are, deeply rooted prejudices have clouded reason and men have employed their reason to justify prejudices. We must go back to first principles. The current civilization of Europe is very partial: freedom bartered for splendid slavery, desire for dazzling by riches has overwhelmed the mass of mankind. Rank and title before which genius must hide. Wretchedness flowing from hereditary honors, riches, monarchy. (Wollstonecraft highlights that this also was Rousseau's critique of his society). The abuse of power proves that the more equality that is established among men, the more virtue and happiness will reign in society.
Chapter 3 The same subject continued (from chapter 2)
Even if a man has more bodily strength than a woman, Wollstonecraft says: "But I still insist, that not only the virtue, by the knowledge of the two sexes should be the same in nature, if not in degree, and that women, considered not only as moral, but rational creatures, ought to endeavor to acquire human virtues (or perfections) by the same means as men, instead of being educated like a fanciful kind of half being." Until women are more rationally educated, the progress in human virtue and improvement must be checked. Both men and women should look to the character of God as the guide for virtue.
Should women be subject to other fallible beings (men)? And if they submit without reason they will have no fixed rules to govern their conduct "and we ought not to wonder if sometimes, galled by their heavy yoke, they take a malignant pleasure in resting it on weaker shoulder." Meaning women are more likely to be cruel to their own children, or servants if they experience cruelty and oppression themselves. But a virtuous woman will give her children love, implants in them principles of virtue, teaches them strength of character to endure adversity. Wollstonecraft sums up: I deny the existence of sexual virtue otherwise virtue becomes a relative idea having no other foundation but utility. To become respectable the exercise of understanding is necessary, they must bow only to the authority of reason instead of being modest slaves of opinion.
Chapter 4 Observations on the state of degradation to which woman is reduced by various causes
Reason: the simple power of improvement or properly speaking of discerning truth. The nature of reason is the same in all. It is the tie that connects the creature with the Creator. Education is not only a preparation for life but for perfection in the afterlife. Women have resigned their natural rights and chosen rather to be short-lived queens. For food which they do not toil for they give their health, liberty, virtue in exchange. The only things they are taught to enjoy: novels, music, poetry all tend to make women creatures of sensation; overstretched sensibility relaxes other powers of mind and prevents intellect from attaining that sovereignty which it ought to render a creature useful to others. Nature is counteracted when woman is made only to procreate and rot and not to aspire to her grand destination--heaven. Reason is absolutely necessary to enable a woman to perform any duty properly. Women whose minds are not enlarged by education are unfit to manage a family, for they are always tyrannizing. Friendship is the most sublime of all affections because it is founded on principle and cemented by time. This should be the basis of marriage and not love.
Chapter 5 Animadversions on some of the writers who have rendered women objects of pity, bordering on contempt
Wollstonecraft spends this chapter correcting several authors who have written women's conduct books. Servitude not only debases the individual but its effects are transmitted to posterity. Considering how long women have been dependent is it not surprising that they would hug their chains? All the sacred rights of humanity are violated by insisting on blind obedience. Nature never dictated such insincerity that women should caress the man the very moment he treats her tyrannically (in response to Rousseau saying women should have a good nature so that she can learn to suffer injustice at the hands of her
husband). Earning your own subsistence is the true definition of independence.
Chapter 6 The effect which an early association of ideas has upon the character
Females are made women when they are children and expected to remain children when they are women; false ideas of beauty and delicacy stop the growth of their limbs; a system of oppression; when they act for themselves they learn that only their ability to excite men can allow them power and pleasure; the books written for their instruction all give the same opinions; they are educated for worse than Egyptian bondage. Women thus trained cannot recognize a man of virtue and fall easily for charmers. If women were to become what Wollstonecraft wishes them to be, love would acquire a more serious dignity and they would turn from the rake (aka jerk) in disgust.
Chapter 7 Modesty.-Comprehensively considered, and not as a sexual virtue
The woman who has dedicated a considerable portion of her time to pursuits purely intellectual and whose affections have been exercised by humane plans of usefulness must have more purity of mind as a natural consequence than the ignorant beings who time and thoughts have been occupied pleasures or schemes to conquer the hearts. Wollstonecraft doubts chastity will produce modesty though it may propriety of conduct when it is merely a respect for the opinion of the world.
Chapter 8 Morality undermined by sexual notions of the importance of a good reputation
It is reputation not chastity or virtue that women are concerned with in order to maintain their station in the world. I have seen women concerned with only their reputation neglect their duties and once their reputation has won them a good marriage they are faithless. But Rousseau has termed respect for the opinion of the world the principal duty of a woman-'that reputation is no less indispensable than chastity' He says a man is only dependent on himself and may brave public opinion but a woman in behaving well only performs half her duty. Morality is very much undermined in the female world by the attention to show instead of substance. "We should rather endeavor to view ourselves as we suppose that Being views us who seeth each thought ripen into action, and whose judgment never swerves from the eternal rule of right." Public spirit will then be nurtured by private virtue.
Chapter 9 Of the Pernicious effects which arise from the unnatural distinctions established in society
"There must be equality established in society, or morality will never gain ground, and this virtuous equality will not rest firmly even when founded on a rock, if one half of mankind be chained to its bottom by fate, for they will be continually undermining it through ignorance or pride." While wealth weakens men and women live by charms how can we expect them to discharge their duties? Distinctions of rank corrupt every class making tyrants of some, cunning dependents of others, especially women. Without rights there cannot be any incumbent duties. The laws respecting women make her a mere cipher of her husband considering him only as responsible. The first duty of women as rational creatures is to themselves and the next as citizens is their duties as a mother, but rank deposes them of this duty. Women ought to have representatives instead of being arbitrarily governed without having any direct share allowed them in the deliberations of government. Women should be able to study the art of healing, become midwives, they might also study politics and settle their benevolence on the broadest basis, they might pursue business which might save many from common and legal prostitution. Women would not then marry for support as men accept places of government. Is not that government very defective and unmindful of the happiness of half its members that does not provide honest independent women respectable stations? "But in order to render their private virtue a public benefit, they must have a civil existence in the state, married or single."Would men but generously snap our chains, and be content with rational fellowship instead of slavish obedience, they would find us more observant daughters, more affectionate sisters, more faithful wives, more reasonable mothers-in a word, better citizens. We should then love them with true affection, because we should learn to respect ourselves; and the peace of mind of a worthy man would not be interrupted by the idle vanity of his wife, nor the babes sent to nestle in a strange bosom, having never found a home in their mothers" (240-241).
Chapter 10 Parental affection
Women as slave in every situation seldom exerts enlightened maternal affection, she either neglects them or indulges them. Care of children in their infancy is one of the grand duties annexed to females by nature. To be a good mother a woman must have sense and the independence of mind which few women posses who are dependent on their husbands
Chapter 11 Duty to Parents
If parents discharge their duties they have a strong hold and sacred claim on the gratitude of their children. Even in this relationship blind obedience is harmful. The early habit of relying explicitly on the opinion of a parent is not easily shook-the absurd duty of obeying a parent just because he is a parent prepares the mind for submission to any power but reason. Parents should rather rely on setting a good example.
Chapter 12 On National Education
Good effects from private education will always be confined until education becomes a national concern. Children should be excited to think for themselves and this can only be done by mixing children together and making them jointly pursue the same objects. Public education should be directed to form citizens, but to make good citizens you must first exercise the affections of a son and a brother, this is the only way to expand the heart for public affections and virtues grow out of private character. There is a need for establishing public day-schools and where boys and girls should be able to study together, or their relations will never deserve the name of fellowship, and the main pillars of friendship-respect and confidence. Schools should be established by the govt and for boys and girls ages five to nine ought to be free and open to all classes. Boys and girls, rich and poor will study together. There should be uniforms to avoid vanity, same discipline for all. Daily exercise outside, no sedentary employment for more than an hour, botany, mechanics, reading writing, natural philosophy, religion, politics taught by conversation in the Socratic form. After age of nine boys and girls destined for domestic or mechanical trades with two sexes together in the morning and afternoon girls learn domestic duties. Also at this age, young people of superior abilities or fortune should be taught in another school language, science, history, politics, or literature. Students should not be punished by the masters but tried by their peers, to teach them justice. Kindness to animals should be particularly inculcated-the transition from cruelness to animals to tyrannize over wife and children is an easy one.
Chapter 13 Some instances of the folly which the ignorance of women generates; with concluding reflections on the moral improvement that a revolution in female manners might be naturally expected to produce.
They rely on fortune telling, restoring of health by supernatural means, romantic twist of the mind-sentimentality which is perpetuated by novels (read something superior instead!), fondness of dress, vanity, narrow affections which sacrifice justice and humanity, ignorance in regards to proper child-rearing, leaving care of children to servants. "Rational religion, on the contrary, is a submission to the will of a being so perfectly wise, that all he wills must be directed by the proper motive-must be reasonable" (281). As things are women are denied all political privileges are denied a civil existence except in criminal cases. How can women be just or generous when they are the slaves of injustice? Moralists have agreed that unless virtue be nursed by liberty, it will never attain due strength-and what they say of man I extend to mankind. Public virtue is only an aggregate of private.
Questions from Sarah
Think broadly about what "feminism" means? How can we think of Wollstonecraft as the founder of "feminism" even though she herself did not use the word?
In what ways are Wollstonecraft's ideas similar to the ideas of the political theorists we have already read? Wollstonecraft was a great admirer of Rousseau, although she thought him incorrect in many ways. Are there ideas she takes from Rousseau and adapts to her own use? From Locke?
For all the discussion about the minds and intellectual capabilities of women, it is interesting to see in Wollstonecraft’s work that her male contemporaries clearly made impressions her. There is the aforementioned comparison to Locke’s belief in a divine creator that indicated equality among the creator’s products. Furthermore, she discusses and often disagrees the ideas of Rousseau several times throughout Vindication on the Rights of Woman. Wollstonecraft’s beliefs about equality are similar to Rousseau’s beliefs at their most basic core. That is both believe that equality has to do with independence and reason. People are equal in the sense that they have independent thoughts and make choices as a result. The central difference is that Rousseau’s definition of equality applies only to men while Wollstonecraft is pleading for his position to be extended to all humankind and thus include women. This is a clear and significant difference between the two but at the same time, it is clear they agree on many points. Both believe that independent thinking is absolutely fundamental and that education is a means of autonomy. Rousseau states his belief about acquiring knowledge here, saying, “It is by the activity of the passions that our reason is improved; for we desire knowledge only because we wish to enjoy.” (Rousseau, III, p. 13) Like, Wollstonecraft, he believes that in becoming more educated, one develops deeper processes of thought and is ultimately able to enjoy life in a greater sense. The disagreement lies in whether women should be educated to think in the same independent manner. Though their definitions of equality are remarkably similar, Rousseau would more than likely be in agreement with the notions of women as the weaker sex and a means of pleasure for others, which would always ultimately put him in stark contrast with Mary Wollstonecraft. Regarding Locke, Wollstonecraft builds off Locke’s argument that men are equal in the sense that they are creatures created by God but takes it further saying that not only all men but all mankind have souls. Thus, all humankind who possess such souls were created by God and this makes them capable of acquiring the same virtues, primarily reason. This is an extremely clever assertion as the subjects of God and religion were not taken lightly during Mary Wollstonecraft’s time and surely, no one could argue that God created man but not woman
Mill was a great admirer of Wollstonecraft, do we note any similarities there? Ways in which he might have been influenced by her?
Education played an important role in Enlightenment thinking as education came to be viewed as a positive means for transforming society. What is Wollstonecraft's view of education? What kind of education is she advocating? How is different from the education she believes women were given at the time?
Wollstonecraft views education as necessary for the formation and strengthening of virtues in all beings of society. People are not inclined to maintain virtuous principles if they do not have an understanding which attaches the duty with a rationality. She claims that the most perfect education is “an exercise of the understanding as is best calculated to strengthen the body and form the heart. Or, in other words, to enable the individual to attain such habits of virtue as will render it independent” (18). She maintains that the education the women receive at this particular time is disorderly, un-exact, broken in method, and based largely on guesswork. Women are generally not allowed to attend school long enough to understand generalities independent of their own observations nor to grasp the causes of certain effects. Furthermore, they never learn to invigorate their faculties. They merely learn to obey and to marry – which they perceive as their sole means of establishing themselves in the world.
How are men to blame for the unequal position/status of women? How are women to blame (if they are at all) for their position? How do women exercise what power they can over men? What effects does inequality have on the individual person/on the family/on society? How are inequalities between men and women like other inequalities existent in society?
How does Wollstonecraft argue that women are equal to men? What evidence does she give? What effect does Wollstonecraft believe equality would have on the individual/family/society?
What is the basis of an equal, happy, and lasting marriage? Does this seem right to you? Why might marriage be important for political theory?
Table of Contents
Vindication of the Rights of Women
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Vindication_of_the_Rights_of_Woman
Background
The primary aim of Rights of Woman, though it covers many subjects can be summzarized: "Contending for the rights of woman, my main argument is built on this simple principle, that if she be not prepared by education to become the companion of men, she will stop the progress of knowledge and virtue; for truth must be common to all, or it will be inefficacious with respect to its influence on general practice."Wollstonecraft is speaking not only to Tallyrand and France in this work but most importantly to Britain: At the time of Wollstonecraft's publication, women in Britain were essentially the property of their fathers and then their husbands. Men were able to abuse their wives and daughters with no legal ramifications seeing as women had no political rights. All property was passed to the eldest son upon the death of the patriarch; this, in turn, made chastity of utmost importance as fathers wanted to be sure property was passing on to the rightful heir. Divorce was virtually unheard of and if a woman did run away from an abusive husband, she risked being confined in a mental institution and losing her children. (Wollstonecraft wrote an unpublished novel about these issues that was interrupted by her sudden death). Seemingly, a woman's only real accomplishment was marrying well and women were thus educated almost solely to prepare for the marriage market- learning how to cook, draw, sew and play music in order to become an attractive hostess. There were even several books were written teaching woman how to flirt in a coy manner and how to demonstrate piety and other virtues men would seek in a potential bride.
Wollstonecraft published her Vindication of the Rights of Women in 1792, after serving as a teacher in Newington Green and observing that the girls she was attempting to enlighten were already formed academically by a social environment that subordinated them to men. After the publication, she spent time in France observing the revolutionary fervor of the time, thus familiarizing herself with the new idea of inalienable rights that was taking hold at the time. In doing this, she continued to educate herself and grew stronger in her feminist convictions.
It is important to note how slowly Wollstonecraft's ideas took hold in Britain. A century after Wollstonecraft was born Charlotte Bronte published her classic work Jane Eyre under a male pseudonym. When Charlotte's identity was released it was highly controversial that a woman wrote such an unflattering depiction of male charecters. Wollstonecraft's true accomplishments should not be measured in immediate influence on society, but on her influence on future authors such as Mill and eventually the feminist movement.
To. M. Talleyrand-Périgord Late Bishop of Autun
Wollstonecraft begins her work by noting that she “pleads for her sex, not herself”(4) and that her words universally apply to the whole human race. She then provides an overview of her work for the bishop to read.She claims that the French have more knowledge than the rest of the world owing to a greater degree of “social intercourse between the sexes”; however, they also are more prone to promiscuity and lust, while paying little attention to decency and modesty. But if they are to have true patriotism, they must work to instill modesty in their fellow male citizens so that they themselves respect modesty themselves. To render the human mind and body more perfect – must practice chastity so men could learn to respect women. She foresees the day when respect of women which would eventually become the only way to merit esteem.
Moreover, she asserts that truth should be known and spread to all, or it would be no good for society. Both men and women can reason, therefore, both men and women can come to know truth and thus develop (not simply blindly adopt) virtue. The more they learn, “the more they will be attached to their duty–comprehending it– for unless they comprehend it, unless their morals be fixed on the same immutable principle as those of man, no authority can make them discharge it in a virtuous manner” (5).
Wollstonecraft views the subjection of women as leading to a breakdown of natural roles in the home. Men see women as mere objects to amuse them when they are not busy “contemplating.” This attitude towards women does not foster respect for women and lead men to perceive no reason to be faithful. Women, lacking an understanding of morality, may rebel against their slave-like state and achieve justice by retaliating against their faithless husbands. However, allowing women to form and foment their own sense of morality would avoid this situation and stabilize the entire home.
She also seeks to refute the argument that women are kept subdued for their own well-being. She claims that the withholding of reason is an argument of tyrants.
Introduction
Women are seen as weak, wretched, and inferior. These ideas are propagated from the outset during childhood and the early stages of education. From this point on, female inferiority is assumed without question. Women themselves are sacrificed to beauty and denied an education. She writes: "This barren blooming I attribute especially to a false system of education, gathered from books written by men who have been more anxious to make of women alluring mistresses than rational wives." They aspire only to acquire love without a regard for their own abilities and virtues. No one can doubt men’s physical superiority in strength; however, physical strength is not related to natural pre-eminence. Both sexes possess the capacity to reason and know true virtue. And therefore, the ability to govern is not based on sex (as was the custom), but rather, the level at which the individual's reasoning has developed.Characteristics are championed in women that glory their slavishness; men convince them with “soft phrases” which are in fact “almost always synonymous with epithets of weakness” (8). Women who do attempt to show masculine virtues (and thereby gain equality) are stigmatized against as masculine-women. Middle class women are the most to be pitied because they have nothing to do but amuse themselves.
She closes this section by affirming her dedication to “persuade by the force of arguments” instead of flowery language.
Chapter 2 The Prevailing Opinion of a Sexual Character
In Chapter 2, Wollostonecraft details the differences between men and women, as established by societal norms. Women's intellect is kept suppressed by denying them a proper education, which ultimately inhibits their ability to acquire virtue. Women are expected to remain calm, quiet, and soft-spoken. They must keep intact a sense of innocence, which to Wollstonecraft, should only be a characteristic of infants since it implies weakness. Nevertheless, women are expected to practice and demonstrate any personality traits that will lead them to attract a male sutor and become dependent on their husbands. "She was created to be the toy of man, his rattle, and it must jingle in his ears, whenever, dimsissing reason, he chooses to be amused" (2). In other words, women were created for men, as was expressed even in Biblical passages.
However, there exist a number of problems with the woman's status in society. By the fact that woman has also been given the divine gift of reason, she is kept unequal and insubordinate, and is denied an innate right that men are allowed to enjoy, even the least of men who choose not to. Secondly, the expectations of female character and personality will lead to problems in the future once she attains marital status. Upon marriage, a woman will see her life's goal as achieved. All that she has practiced for attracting male attention will no longer be needed. However, this way of life has been imposed on her since childhood, and so, she will not simply cast away this mentality. Instead, the wife will continue to behave in the same fashion, attracting other men, and violating the values of marriage.
A woman should seek to reform these societal norms, by striving to become an equal- a friend- of men, and not a dependent. Wollstonecraft states: "Do passive indolent women make the best wives? . . .If they are really capable of ating like rational creatures, let them not be treated like slaves; let them attain conscious dignity by feeling themselves only dependent on God" (2). A woman must therefore strive to receive the best education that she can, in order to strengthen and develop both her mind and body. And in time, she will become "more wise and virtuous" (2).
Summary of Unassigned Chapters
Chapter 1 The rights and duties of mankind considered
Man was given reason by God and the exercise of reason can lead us to knowledge and virtue. But as things are, deeply rooted prejudices have clouded reason and men have employed their reason to justify prejudices. We must go back to first principles. The current civilization of Europe is very partial: freedom bartered for splendid slavery, desire for dazzling by riches has overwhelmed the mass of mankind. Rank and title before which genius must hide. Wretchedness flowing from hereditary honors, riches, monarchy. (Wollstonecraft highlights that this also was Rousseau's critique of his society). The abuse of power proves that the more equality that is established among men, the more virtue and happiness will reign in society.Chapter 3 The same subject continued (from chapter 2)
Even if a man has more bodily strength than a woman, Wollstonecraft says: "But I still insist, that not only the virtue, by the knowledge of the two sexes should be the same in nature, if not in degree, and that women, considered not only as moral, but rational creatures, ought to endeavor to acquire human virtues (or perfections) by the same means as men, instead of being educated like a fanciful kind of half being." Until women are more rationally educated, the progress in human virtue and improvement must be checked. Both men and women should look to the character of God as the guide for virtue.Should women be subject to other fallible beings (men)? And if they submit without reason they will have no fixed rules to govern their conduct "and we ought not to wonder if sometimes, galled by their heavy yoke, they take a malignant pleasure in resting it on weaker shoulder." Meaning women are more likely to be cruel to their own children, or servants if they experience cruelty and oppression themselves. But a virtuous woman will give her children love, implants in them principles of virtue, teaches them strength of character to endure adversity. Wollstonecraft sums up: I deny the existence of sexual virtue otherwise virtue becomes a relative idea having no other foundation but utility. To become respectable the exercise of understanding is necessary, they must bow only to the authority of reason instead of being modest slaves of opinion.
Chapter 4 Observations on the state of degradation to which woman is reduced by various causes
Reason: the simple power of improvement or properly speaking of discerning truth. The nature of reason is the same in all. It is the tie that connects the creature with the Creator. Education is not only a preparation for life but for perfection in the afterlife. Women have resigned their natural rights and chosen rather to be short-lived queens. For food which they do not toil for they give their health, liberty, virtue in exchange. The only things they are taught to enjoy: novels, music, poetry all tend to make women creatures of sensation; overstretched sensibility relaxes other powers of mind and prevents intellect from attaining that sovereignty which it ought to render a creature useful to others. Nature is counteracted when woman is made only to procreate and rot and not to aspire to her grand destination--heaven. Reason is absolutely necessary to enable a woman to perform any duty properly. Women whose minds are not enlarged by education are unfit to manage a family, for they are always tyrannizing. Friendship is the most sublime of all affections because it is founded on principle and cemented by time. This should be the basis of marriage and not love.Chapter 5 Animadversions on some of the writers who have rendered women objects of pity, bordering on contempt
Wollstonecraft spends this chapter correcting several authors who have written women's conduct books. Servitude not only debases the individual but its effects are transmitted to posterity. Considering how long women have been dependent is it not surprising that they would hug their chains? All the sacred rights of humanity are violated by insisting on blind obedience. Nature never dictated such insincerity that women should caress the man the very moment he treats her tyrannically (in response to Rousseau saying women should have a good nature so that she can learn to suffer injustice at the hands of herhusband). Earning your own subsistence is the true definition of independence.
Chapter 6 The effect which an early association of ideas has upon the character
Females are made women when they are children and expected to remain children when they are women; false ideas of beauty and delicacy stop the growth of their limbs; a system of oppression; when they act for themselves they learn that only their ability to excite men can allow them power and pleasure; the books written for their instruction all give the same opinions; they are educated for worse than Egyptian bondage. Women thus trained cannot recognize a man of virtue and fall easily for charmers. If women were to become what Wollstonecraft wishes them to be, love would acquire a more serious dignity and they would turn from the rake (aka jerk) in disgust.Chapter 7 Modesty.-Comprehensively considered, and not as a sexual virtue
The woman who has dedicated a considerable portion of her time to pursuits purely intellectual and whose affections have been exercised by humane plans of usefulness must have more purity of mind as a natural consequence than the ignorant beings who time and thoughts have been occupied pleasures or schemes to conquer the hearts. Wollstonecraft doubts chastity will produce modesty though it may propriety of conduct when it is merely a respect for the opinion of the world.Chapter 8 Morality undermined by sexual notions of the importance of a good reputation
It is reputation not chastity or virtue that women are concerned with in order to maintain their station in the world. I have seen women concerned with only their reputation neglect their duties and once their reputation has won them a good marriage they are faithless. But Rousseau has termed respect for the opinion of the world the principal duty of a woman-'that reputation is no less indispensable than chastity' He says a man is only dependent on himself and may brave public opinion but a woman in behaving well only performs half her duty. Morality is very much undermined in the female world by the attention to show instead of substance. "We should rather endeavor to view ourselves as we suppose that Being views us who seeth each thought ripen into action, and whose judgment never swerves from the eternal rule of right." Public spirit will then be nurtured by private virtue.Chapter 9 Of the Pernicious effects which arise from the unnatural distinctions established in society
"There must be equality established in society, or morality will never gain ground, and this virtuous equality will not rest firmly even when founded on a rock, if one half of mankind be chained to its bottom by fate, for they will be continually undermining it through ignorance or pride." While wealth weakens men and women live by charms how can we expect them to discharge their duties? Distinctions of rank corrupt every class making tyrants of some, cunning dependents of others, especially women. Without rights there cannot be any incumbent duties. The laws respecting women make her a mere cipher of her husband considering him only as responsible. The first duty of women as rational creatures is to themselves and the next as citizens is their duties as a mother, but rank deposes them of this duty. Women ought to have representatives instead of being arbitrarily governed without having any direct share allowed them in the deliberations of government. Women should be able to study the art of healing, become midwives, they might also study politics and settle their benevolence on the broadest basis, they might pursue business which might save many from common and legal prostitution. Women would not then marry for support as men accept places of government. Is not that government very defective and unmindful of the happiness of half its members that does not provide honest independent women respectable stations? "But in order to render their private virtue a public benefit, they must have a civil existence in the state, married or single."Would men but generously snap our chains, and be content with rational fellowship instead of slavish obedience, they would find us more observant daughters, more affectionate sisters, more faithful wives, more reasonable mothers-in a word, better citizens. We should then love them with true affection, because we should learn to respect ourselves; and the peace of mind of a worthy man would not be interrupted by the idle vanity of his wife, nor the babes sent to nestle in a strange bosom, having never found a home in their mothers" (240-241).Chapter 10 Parental affection
Women as slave in every situation seldom exerts enlightened maternal affection, she either neglects them or indulges them. Care of children in their infancy is one of the grand duties annexed to females by nature. To be a good mother a woman must have sense and the independence of mind which few women posses who are dependent on their husbandsChapter 11 Duty to Parents
If parents discharge their duties they have a strong hold and sacred claim on the gratitude of their children. Even in this relationship blind obedience is harmful. The early habit of relying explicitly on the opinion of a parent is not easily shook-the absurd duty of obeying a parent just because he is a parent prepares the mind for submission to any power but reason. Parents should rather rely on setting a good example.Chapter 12 On National Education
Good effects from private education will always be confined until education becomes a national concern. Children should be excited to think for themselves and this can only be done by mixing children together and making them jointly pursue the same objects. Public education should be directed to form citizens, but to make good citizens you must first exercise the affections of a son and a brother, this is the only way to expand the heart for public affections and virtues grow out of private character. There is a need for establishing public day-schools and where boys and girls should be able to study together, or their relations will never deserve the name of fellowship, and the main pillars of friendship-respect and confidence. Schools should be established by the govt and for boys and girls ages five to nine ought to be free and open to all classes. Boys and girls, rich and poor will study together. There should be uniforms to avoid vanity, same discipline for all. Daily exercise outside, no sedentary employment for more than an hour, botany, mechanics, reading writing, natural philosophy, religion, politics taught by conversation in the Socratic form. After age of nine boys and girls destined for domestic or mechanical trades with two sexes together in the morning and afternoon girls learn domestic duties. Also at this age, young people of superior abilities or fortune should be taught in another school language, science, history, politics, or literature. Students should not be punished by the masters but tried by their peers, to teach them justice. Kindness to animals should be particularly inculcated-the transition from cruelness to animals to tyrannize over wife and children is an easy one.Chapter 13 Some instances of the folly which the ignorance of women generates; with concluding reflections on the moral improvement that a revolution in female manners might be naturally expected to produce.
They rely on fortune telling, restoring of health by supernatural means, romantic twist of the mind-sentimentality which is perpetuated by novels (read something superior instead!), fondness of dress, vanity, narrow affections which sacrifice justice and humanity, ignorance in regards to proper child-rearing, leaving care of children to servants. "Rational religion, on the contrary, is a submission to the will of a being so perfectly wise, that all he wills must be directed by the proper motive-must be reasonable" (281). As things are women are denied all political privileges are denied a civil existence except in criminal cases. How can women be just or generous when they are the slaves of injustice? Moralists have agreed that unless virtue be nursed by liberty, it will never attain due strength-and what they say of man I extend to mankind. Public virtue is only an aggregate of private.Questions from Sarah
- Think broadly about what "feminism" means? How can we think of Wollstonecraft as the founder of "feminism" even though she herself did not use the word?
- In what ways are Wollstonecraft's ideas similar to the ideas of the political theorists we have already read? Wollstonecraft was a great admirer of Rousseau, although she thought him incorrect in many ways. Are there ideas she takes from Rousseau and adapts to her own use? From Locke?
For all the discussion about the minds and intellectual capabilities of women, it is interesting to see in Wollstonecraft’s work that her male contemporaries clearly made impressions her. There is the aforementioned comparison to Locke’s belief in a divine creator that indicated equality among the creator’s products. Furthermore, she discusses and often disagrees the ideas of Rousseau several times throughout Vindication on the Rights of Woman. Wollstonecraft’s beliefs about equality are similar to Rousseau’s beliefs at their most basic core. That is both believe that equality has to do with independence and reason. People are equal in the sense that they have independent thoughts and make choices as a result. The central difference is that Rousseau’s definition of equality applies only to men while Wollstonecraft is pleading for his position to be extended to all humankind and thus include women. This is a clear and significant difference between the two but at the same time, it is clear they agree on many points. Both believe that independent thinking is absolutely fundamental and that education is a means of autonomy. Rousseau states his belief about acquiring knowledge here, saying, “It is by the activity of the passions that our reason is improved; for we desire knowledge only because we wish to enjoy.” (Rousseau, III, p. 13) Like, Wollstonecraft, he believes that in becoming more educated, one develops deeper processes of thought and is ultimately able to enjoy life in a greater sense. The disagreement lies in whether women should be educated to think in the same independent manner. Though their definitions of equality are remarkably similar, Rousseau would more than likely be in agreement with the notions of women as the weaker sex and a means of pleasure for others, which would always ultimately put him in stark contrast with Mary Wollstonecraft. Regarding Locke, Wollstonecraft builds off Locke’s argument that men are equal in the sense that they are creatures created by God but takes it further saying that not only all men but all mankind have souls. Thus, all humankind who possess such souls were created by God and this makes them capable of acquiring the same virtues, primarily reason. This is an extremely clever assertion as the subjects of God and religion were not taken lightly during Mary Wollstonecraft’s time and surely, no one could argue that God created man but not woman- Mill was a great admirer of Wollstonecraft, do we note any similarities there? Ways in which he might have been influenced by her?
- Education played an important role in Enlightenment thinking as education came to be viewed as a positive means for transforming society. What is Wollstonecraft's view of education? What kind of education is she advocating? How is different from the education she believes women were given at the time?
Wollstonecraft views education as necessary for the formation and strengthening of virtues in all beings of society. People are not inclined to maintain virtuous principles if they do not have an understanding which attaches the duty with a rationality. She claims that the most perfect education is “an exercise of the understanding as is best calculated to strengthen the body and form the heart. Or, in other words, to enable the individual to attain such habits of virtue as will render it independent” (18). She maintains that the education the women receive at this particular time is disorderly, un-exact, broken in method, and based largely on guesswork. Women are generally not allowed to attend school long enough to understand generalities independent of their own observations nor to grasp the causes of certain effects. Furthermore, they never learn to invigorate their faculties. They merely learn to obey and to marry – which they perceive as their sole means of establishing themselves in the world.